The Mines of Mandor
Story Synopsis On the asteroid mining station Z-11, in the Mandor Planetary System, the arrival of a mysterious traveler known only as the Doctor coincides with the death of one of the miners, as well as the arrival of two dangerous mercenaries. Are these events related? Z-11's Foreman Mixton seems to think so. And, what do the mineral Z-1138 and the galaxy's plague, Yonex Disease, have in common? It’s left to the Doctor to ponder just what possible interest all this could be to the Rutan Empire. Episode One Digging inside the mines is halted due to broken machinery and power failures. While investigating something kills one of the miners. In a nearby laboratory, Dr Borsh and Amara Tal are working. After another power failure Amara goes to fetch some lamps. She hears The TARDIS land and meets The Doctor. Amara knows what a TARDIS is and of the Time Lords. The Mandor system is situated near Gallifrey. Her family is of the royal house of Tria. She is a Trian, from the asteroid Tria. Amara tells The Doctor they are digging for the mineral Z-1138 that may cure Yonex Disease. Deep in the mines, a group of mercenaries kidnap a miner and force his co-operation. The Doctor returns to the lab with Amara. Dr Borsch thinks the Doctor may be of use to her. He is arrested by guards and brutally interrogated by Forman Mixton. Forman accuses him of being a space pirate. Dr Borsh takes The Doctor into her custody. Mixton doesn’t want to agree but she threatens him with her royal connections. Borsh explains that Mixton is paranoid person since his parents were killed by pirates. The Doctor and Borsh discuss the disease. The Doctor thinks Borsh is hiding something. Episode Two Mixton discovers the suspicious deaths of miners and declares a state of emergency, sounding the alarm. Amara taps into the communications system to discover this herself. Another miner is attacked in front of the mercenaries. The miner turns green as he is possessed by another lifeform. The mercenaries try to shoot it, but it has no effect. Mixton sets out on a hunt for space pirates, despite a lack of any evidence. The Doctor and Dr Borsh conduct a series of experiments with mineral Z-1138. They discover the disease is airborne. Borsh says that some people have been found to be immune, but they haven’t found the reason why. After more tests they discover rare chronon particles inside the mineral. The chronon particles have the ability to absorb data telepathically and enact commands. The Doctor speculates that such a mineral could be turned into a powerful weapon. Borsh orders The Doctor to do continue whatever experiments she demands, or else she will kill Amara (Amara is unaware of this conversation). Borsh receives a signal from a satellite than an unidentified ship is coming to land. Amara informs Mixton of the imminent arrival. Mixton doesn’t believe her as his own systems have not picked it up, but when he double checks they discover the ship is already moving to dock. Unknown to Mixton they are the main force of a group of mercenaries, come to meet with the scout party already in the mines. The Doctor thinks he may be able to get the chronon particles to age the infection to death before it affects the carrier. He has some success but proceeds cautiously. Amara returns to the lab and tells them of the battle between Mixton and the mercenary ship about to occur, and that Mixton is suspicious of them too. Borsh is confident she can handle Mixton. After docking the leader of the mercs, Captain Gelia, gets their still unknown mission underway, and declares her strong desire to assassinate Mixton. Episode Three The mercenary scout team report to Captain Gelia about the possessed miner. She is not convinced they saw what they think, and asks for the miner to be captured so that there are no loose ends. The Doctor studies the mineral in liquid form. Amara has taken a clear liking to him, which annoys Dr Borsh. Amara encounters the possessed miner as it tries to get close to the extracted mineral samples. She runs away, ending up in the mines. Mixton begins to feel ill. The mercenaries engage the security forces in a large firefight. The mercs believe they are the stronger side. The Doctor worries about Amara being gone for so long, so they both go to search for her. They see a green light, following it to the source and hearing screams nearby. Episode Four The light emanates from the possessed being. Mixton and colleague Trino find it. Trino is killed. The Doctor and Borsh find them. Mixton looks very ill. The being attacks Borsh and The Doctor tries to reason with it. The being wants mineral Z-1138. The Doctor says it’s in the lab, and they can go there so long as Mixton can get medical help. It agrees. Amara encounters the mercs in the mines. Is taken hostage and forced to take Captain Gelia up to the labs. They arrive to meet the others. The Doctor identifies the being as a Rutan scout. Captain Gelia explains they were hired to aquire the mineral by another government in the sector. Mixton has Yonex Disease but briefly comes round. He helped the Rutans. The Rutans want the mineral as a source of power for their dying sun. They have the technology to utilize it effectively. They renege on the deal with Mixton and kill him. The Doctor throws a sample of yonex disease at the Rutan, which kills it. They send out a signal that the asteroid is a plague colony and should be quarantined. The Doctor finalizes the cure and uses it to inoculate everyone, and it is ready for mass production. Amara leaves with The Doctor. Continuity to be added Production Cast The Doctor: Ronn Smith Amara Tal:: Rebecca McCarthy Forman Mixton: Teg Gray Engineer Varban: Joe Thomas Dr Olmoni Borsh: Victoria Gordon Braxa: Kyle Hubert Jardon: Elie Hirschman Dragen: Elie Hirschman Computer Voice: Daniel Rushton Resin: Elie Hirschman Captain Gelia: Sally Wiget Lt. Haro: Kyle Borcz Trino: David Michael Lyles Crew Exec Producer/Director: Jonithan Patrick Russell Post Production Editing: Gene Williams and Jonithan Patrick Russell Producer: Kyle Borcz Co-Producer: Ronn Smith Links http://www.dregold.net/DW101-MinesofMandor.htm Category:Rutans Mines of Mandor, The